Celestial Ascendance
by Twilidramon
Summary: The Four - each chosen at birth by an eclipse and given a great power - have made it to the mountains. MountainClan is dying and in need of help they refuse to accept. Meanwhile, the four lake Clans are played like puppets by a mysterious white cat and her students... The endless winter is not far away - can the Four find the solution in time? Celestial Winter's sequel.
1. Allegiances

**Welcome, one and all, to the second part of the Celestial storyline! I know I took a long time getting to a point in the first part, but this one will not have such a problem. Thank you for all those who read Celestial Eclipse, and for all those who will read this part. I am hoping to keep this one around the same length as the first part.**

**It might be rough going for the first few chapters, especially now that I'm working on Dark Fever, too (along with (possibly) another story). But please bear with me!**

* * *

**ALLEGIANCES**

* * *

**THUNDERCLAN**

Leader: Sparrowstar – mottled brown tabby tom with white paws and extra toes, copper eyes

Deputy: Ivyshade – sleek black she-cat, green eyes _(Cherrypaw)_

Medicine Cat: Leafwhisker – mottled light brown tabby tom with white paws, yellow eyes _(Hollypaw)_

Warriors:

Waspstorm – very pale golden tabby tom, green eyes

Badgerfang – sleek black-and-white she-cat, yellow eyes

Brightflame – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat, yellow eyes (mother of Hollypaw, Cherrypaw, and Rosepaw)_ (Nettlepaw)_

Bramblepelt – dark brown tabby tom, yellow eyes (Honeycloud's mate)

Antstep – very small dark ginger tom, blue eyes _(Fallowpaw)_

Sorrelnose – ginger tabby tom, amber eyes _(Lionpaw) _

Honeycloud – pale golden tabby she-cat, orange eyes (mother of Nettlepaw and Lionpaw)

Cloudpelt – long-haired white tom, green eyes

Toadstripe – mottled brown tabby tom, yellow eyes _(Thrushpaw)_

Moleclaw – small dark gray tabby tom, green eyes _(Rosepaw)_

Sootwhisker – dusky gray tabby she-cat, yellow eyes

Squirreltail – mottled pale gray tom, green eyes

Apprentices:

Hollypaw – mottled brown tortoiseshell she-cat with white paws and extra toes, copper eyes; medicine cat apprentice

Fallowpaw – pale brown tom, green eyes

Thrushpaw – dappled gray-brown tabby tom, amber eyes

Cherrypaw – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat, copper eyes

Rosepaw – pale ginger tabby she-cat with white paws, yellow eyes

Lionpaw - pale golden brown tabby tom, amber eyes

Nettlepaw – dark brown tabby tom, amber eyes

Queens:

Briartail – brown tabby she-cat, yellow eyes (mother of Waspstorm's kits – Hazelkit and Cobkit)

Mintflower – pale gray tabby, bright green eyes (mother of Sootpaw and Squirrelpaw)

Elders:

Goosefur – large dark gray-and-white tom, green eyes

Crowshade – skinny smoky gray, nearly black tom, blue eyes

* * *

**RIVERCLAN**

Leader: Loachstar – dappled brown she-cat, hazel eyes

Deputy: Loonfeather – black-and-white tom, blue eyes _(Otterpaw)_

Medicine Cat: Fogleaf – long-haired pale gray-and-white tom, bi-colored eyes

Warriors:

Pebbleshade – dark gray tabby tom with white paws, green eyes

Blackscale – sleek black tom with white paws, green eyes (Newtwhisker's mate)

Shellfur – sleek gray-blue she-cat, blue eyes

Gullwing – gray-and-white tom, yellow eyes

Willowmask – mottled gray tabby queen, yellow eyes (mother of Otterpaw and Boulderpaw)

Troutfur – tortoiseshell she-cat, orange eyes _(Leechpaw)_

Pikefoot – large brown tom with pale tabby stripes, hazel eyes (Fleckface's mate)

Cedartail – pale gray tabby tom, green eyes _(Boulderpaw)_

Kitewhisker – bright ginger tabby she-cat, yellow eyes

Snailflight – short mottled brown tabby tom, amber eyes

Curlewtail – brindled brown tabby tom, amber eyes

Apprentices:

Leechpaw – sleek black she-cat, green eyes

Otterpaw – sleek brown tabby she-cat with white paws, yellow eyes

Boulderpaw – mottled gray-brown tabby tom with white paws, green eyes

Queens:

Fleckface – mottled brown she-cat with distinctive tabby markings, amber eyes (mother of Pikefoot's kit – Lampreykit)

Newtwhisker – spotted golden tabby she-cat, blue eyes (mother of Blackscale's kits – Leopardkit, Cloverkit, and Patchkit)

Bramblingnose – tortoiseshell she-cat, orange eyes (mother of Kitewhisker, Snailflight, and Curlewtail; expecting Pebbleshade's kits)

Elders:

Reedfur – long-haired brown tabby tom, yellow eyes

Specklecloud – tortoiseshell tabby she-cat with white chest and paws

* * *

**WINDCLAN**

Leader: Gorsestar – golden brown tabby tom, yellow eyes

Deputy: Spiderclaw – long-legged sleek black tom, amber eyes (Dawnfur's mate)

Medicine Cat: Linnetnose – small, dusky gray-brown she-cat, amber eyes _(Heatherwing)_

Warriors:

Rushfoot – long-legged brown tabby tom, amber eyes (Pipitface's mate)_(Harepaw)_

Shrewfang – dusky brown tabby tom, amber eyes

Teaselthorn – brown tabby she-cat, yellow eyes (mother of Laurelpaw, Sloepaw, and Lilypaw)

Stonetail – dark gray tom, blue eyes _(Laurelpaw)_

Ashpelt – dark gray tom, blue eyes _(Sloepaw)_

Shrikewing – gray and white tom, blue eyes (Teaselthorn's mate) _(Rabbitpaw)_

Sheepfur – creamy-white she-cat, green eyes

Smokepelt – dark gray, nearly black tom, amber eyes _(Swiftpaw)_

Feathermask – long-haired pale gray tabby she-cat, yellow eyes _(Lilypaw)_

Harefoot – light brown tabby tom, hazel eyes

Rabbitflight – dark brown tabby tom, hazel eyes

Apprentices:

Heatherwing – light brown tabby she-cat, blue eyes; medicine cat apprentice

Swiftpaw – long-legged smoky black tom, green eyes

Laurelpaw - white she-cat with small patches of pale gray tabby, blue eyes

Sloepaw - pale gray tabby tom with white chest and paws, blue eyes

Lilypaw - nearly all white she-cat with gray ears, blue eyes

Queens:

Dawnfur – pale gray queen, yellow eyes (mother of Stonetail, Ashpelt, and Swiftpaw)

Pipitface – gray-brown tabby with distinctive markings and a white underbelly, hazel eyes (mother of Rushfoot's kits – Acornkit, Spottedkit, and Kestrelkit)

Elders:

Ryewhisker – light brown tabby she-cat, hazel eyes; broken leg

Lightningfur – all-white tom with short, scruffy fur and blind blue eyes

Silvershade – pale silvery-gray she-cat with distinctive stripes

* * *

**SHADOWCLAN**

Leader: Mothstar – dappled golden she-cat, amber eyes

Deputy: Addernose – dark ginger tabby tom, yellow eyes _(night-hunter – mentoring Snakepaw)_

Medicine Cat: Dustleaf – dark brown tabby tom, amber eyes _(Tansypaw)_

Warriors:

Darkbird – sleek black she-cat, green eyes_ (night-hunter)_

Shadefur – gray-black tom, green eyes (Redfeather's mate) _(Tigerpaw) (night-hunter)_

Elmfoot – plain brown tom, green eyes _(Birchpaw)_

Foxtail – fluffy ginger she-cat with a white underbelly, yellow eyes (mother of Poppynose and Thriftfoot) _(Magpiepaw)_

Redfeather – fluffy ginger-and-white she-cat, blue eyes (mother of Magpiepaw, Jaypaw, and Sleetpaw)

Limpetwing – light brown tabby she-cat, copper eyes _(Snakepaw)_

Owlstorm – dappled brown tabby tom, copper eyes (father of Snakepaw and Tigerpaw) _(Sleetpaw)_ _(night-hunter)_

Poppynose – ginger she-cat with a white underbelly, yellow eyes _(Jaypaw)_

Fawncloud – brown she-cat with pale tabby markings, yellow eyes (mother of Snakepaw and Tigerpaw)

Thriftfoot – pale ginger tom, yellow eyes (Sandpelt's mate) _(Yellowpaw)_

Hailcloud – long-haired pale gray tom, green eyes _(night-hunter – mentoring Magpiepaw)_

Firnose – flecked dark gray tabby tom, green eyes

Apprentices:

Tansypaw – pale golden tabby she-cat with white paws, amber eyes; medicine cat apprentice

Birchpaw – flecked pale gray tabby tom, green eyes

Magpiepaw – dark tortoiseshell she-cat, blue eyes _(night-hunter)_

Jaypaw – gray-brown tabby tom, amber eyes

Sleetpaw – pale gray dappled tom with flecks of white, green eyes_(night-hunter)_

Yellowpaw – golden tabby she-cat with white paws, amber eyes

Snakepaw – mottled brown tabby tom, yellow eyes _(night-hunter)_

Tigerpaw – tiger-striped tabby she-cat, amber eyes _(night-hunter)_

Queens:

Sandpelt – pale golden tabby she-cat, green eyes (expecting Thriftfoot's kits)

Goldencloud – golden tabby she-cat, amber eyes (mother of Tansypaw and Yellowpaw)

Elders:

Nightflower – sleek black she-cat, amber eyes (mother of Darkbird and Shadefur)

* * *

**MOUNTAINCLAN (formerly known as THE TRIBE OF RUSHING WATER)**

Tribe-Healer: Teller of the Pointed Stones (Stoneteller) – lean, mottled gray-and-white tom, blue eyes

Healer's Second: Eaglescreech – skinny, long-haired brown tom, green eyes

Warriors:

Chillybrook – long-haired pale gray tabby she-cat; yellow eyes

Highpeak – long-legged lean brown tabby tom; hazel eyes

Snowmelt – brown-and-white tabby she-cat; hazel eyes

Wingfeather – light gray tom; green eyes

Jaggedstone – big dark brown tabby tom; amber eyes

To-bes:

Wolf – fluffy light brown tabby tom; hazel eyes

Bird – sleek black she-cat with white paws; yellow eyes

Creek – gray-blue she-cat; blue eyes

Kit-mothers:

Palemoon – long-haired white she-cat; green eyes (mother of Eaglescreech's kits – Talon, Bone, Lark, and Mist)

Starrybreeze – sleek black she-cat with white paws; yellow eyes (mother of Bird)

Lightningarc – golden brown tabby she-cat, amber eyes (expecting kits)

Elders:

Gorgebreath – massive light-colored tabby tom; yellow eyes

* * *

**CATS OUTSIDE THE CLANS**

Eelclaw – sleek-furred brown tom with white chest and paws, yellow eyes

Copper – dark ginger tabby tom with an orange underbelly and white paws, yellow eyes

Tin – silver tabby she-cat, blue eyes

Otto - gray-and-cream-colored ferret

Ein – fluffy gold-and-white female corgi


	2. Prologue

**Here is the prologue! **

**Prologue**

"_Stoneteller," gasped a ragged voice. "Stoneteller,_ don't leave us…"

The speaking cat, highlighted by moonlight drifting into the cave, shivered. His dark brown tabby pelt was clinging to his bones, his amber eyes sunken into his skull with hunger. He could barely feel his paws the stone was so cold.

The cave was cold and gray, filled with the smell of ice and snow and cat. A frozen chunk of rabbit – barely enough for a kit – lay near the tabby warrior. Shallow scoops lined with frozen feather nests outlined the cave. Moonlight streamed in from above, through holes that were beginning to freeze over.

Water dripped cold as ice from the ceiling of the cave. They splashed against the puddles of water that pooled in this cave's natural dips and crevices. The sacred water pools that Stoneteller looked into the night of every full moon were rimed with frost at their edges.

Stoneteller's gray-and-white flanks heaved. He ate less than any cat, even the elders. The tabby tom pressed his nose into his leader's fur – his heartbeat was slowing down.

A shiver ran down the tabby's spine. _Do I find Eaglescreech? Should I leave him?_

_No,_ he told himself. _This isn't Stoneteller's last life… he needs to be warm when he awakens._

Trembling, the tabby warrior laid down, pressing his body against Stoneteller's. The cold of the stone seeped up his paws and settled in his belly like a ball of ice. The tom's whiskers quivered with the chill as the water continued to drip, drip, drip into the sacred pools. He strained his ears, focusing on them instead of the feeling of his dying leader – he found that the dripping and his leader's heartbeat were in sync:

Drip.

Drop.

Drip.

Drop.

And then silence.

The tabby warrior looked up at the ceiling of the cave. The water had stopped dripping, and a new icicle had formed. He shivered, recalling how dangerous the ice was – it broke rocks, shattered spines, and the icicles could grow so sharp they could pierce a cat's body.

Stoneteller was still and cold. The warrior looked down at him, wondering if Stoneteller even wanted to come back.

_Are our ancestors going to speak to you?_ The tabby wondered. _Will they ever speak to us again?_

Suddenly, warmth rushed through Stoneteller. His heart began to beat once more, and water began dripping from the top of the cave. Stoneteller took a heaving breath and opened his eyes. They were hollow blue pits of pure remorse.

"Jaggedstone," he rasped. The warmth of his breath clouded the air. The tabby warrior couldn't help but relish the feel of the warmth, even if Stoneteller's mouth smelled of decay and hunger.

"Y-Yes, Stoneteller?" he meowed back. "Are you all right? Have our ancestors spoken?"

"Fetch Eaglescreech," Stoneteller told him. Jaggedstone watched his leader begin to struggle upwards. "I must speak with him."

_Our ancestors _have_ spoken!_ Jaggedstone realized. Hope filled his chest with a warmth that he hadn't known for some moons.

Stoneteller's narrowed gaze was ice. "Fetch him, now!" he ordered.

Jaggedstone nodded. He turned and left the cave, the narrow tunnel chilly and cold on his paws. Yet hope kept him surging forward. _Our ancestors have shown him a solution!_

The cave opened up once more into a long, large cave that was the main body of MountainClan's camp. Light streamed in from the large entrance, the waterfall that once guarded the cave from intruders nearly frozen solid at the top of the mountain. A stream of water, a fraction of the waterfall's greatness, was all that remained.

Warriors of MountainClan – the few that were left - were huddled in their nests. The few to-be's that still had energy, Wolf and Creek, were playing just outside of their den. Jaggedstone noted that their play was nothing more than sliding a frozen animal bone between themselves.

Lightningarc, a lovely golden brown tabby, sat outside the nursery. Jaggedstone could hear kits complaining inside. Lightningarc's belly was heavy with kits due any day, and from the sorrow in her eyes Jaggedstone knew that she worried for them.

Eaglescreech stood at the back of the cave, tall and proud despite his lean, hungry physique. His eyes scanned the cave, back and forth, until they locked on to Jaggedstone.

"Jaggedstone," he growled. "You were in there for some time."

"Stoneteller lost a life," Jaggedstone explained. "I didn't think that leaving him was a good option."

Eaglescreech eyed him, then nodded. "Another life gone," Eaglescreech sighed.

"Another?" cried Chillybrook. The long-haired gray tabby she-cat padded out of the warrior's den, bristling. "How can our ancestors be so cruel?"

"Surely he can't have many lives left," meowed another warrior, Highpeak. The leggy tabby sat up from his nest, preferring not to leave to join the conversation. "He lost three this past moon!"

Eaglescreech flattened his ears.

"What will we do?" Chillybrook wailed. Eyes turned to look at her, and Jaggedstone noted that even the to-be's were listening in now. Wolf and Creek were joined by Bird, all of them staring at Chillybrook. Even Eaglescreech's mate and mother of his four kits, Palemoon, poked her head out of the nursery.

"Our ancestors won't speak to Stoneteller," Chillybrook went on. "What if they won't speak to you, Eaglescreech? What if your time comes to become Stoneteller, and our ancestors will not let you?"

"Chillybrook," Eaglescreech murmured. "Calm down. Now isn't the time to worry about that." He looked at Jaggedstone. "I assume Stoneteller wanted to see me?"

Jaggedstone only nodded.

Eaglescreech stood up and meowed, "It will be OK – our ancestors are watching over us. Perhaps this cold is what is preventing them from speaking to us?"

"I keep saying that Stoneteller ought to ask them directly," Highpeak grumbled. "Go to the Rim himself and ask them to bring the freed-water season back to us. Surely they would, if he went through such lengths?"

"Highpeak," Lightningarc snapped, "you know as well as the rest of us that not only is Stoneteller too old and frail to go all the way up to the Rim, but that this eternal cold is our own fault!"

"And what proof do we have of that?" Palemoon demanded.

"We brought it on ourselves!" Lightningarc argued. "If we had just been respectful -"

"Respectful?" Highpeak grunted. He leaned out of the den. "How can you say that you could be respectful to the very thing that killed your mate, Lightningarc? Stormsky was my best friend, and I know that being apologetic wouldn't have stopped the cold from freezing him solid!"

Lightningarc's eyes flew wide, and she took a step back, staggering. She bristled, and then fled into the nursery. Palemoon follwed.

"Enough!" Eaglescreech snapped. Highpeak flinched. "Leave Stormsky out of this. You're not the only one who's lost a friend, Highpeak – we've all lost someone from this vile cold. But what's done is done – there's no healing that wound now."

The tabby tom turned and padded towards the cave. Jaggedstone, chilled, watched his skinny, hungry shape disappear into the cold tunnel.

Chillybrook bristled. "Highpeak, how dare you!" she hissed. "Upsetting her like that! Think of her kits!"

Highpeak narrowed his eyes. "Her kits will probably die before they can mewl," he growled. "This blasted cold is only going to stop once we're all dead, Chillybrook. You know that, I know that, our ancestors know that, and there's nothing they can do to stop it."

Jaggedstone narrowed his eyes, but no cat said a thing as Highpeak turned back into his nest. He laid down and said nothing more on the subject. Chillybrook stood, bristling, her eyes full of despair.

"Is… is it true?" Wolf wondered, his eyes wide.

Jaggedstone looked to the to-be.

"Is it true that it's our fault?" Wolf wondered.

"Ignore him," Jaggedstone meowed, trying to sound reassuring. "The cold just makes Highpeak really grumpy because it freezes his joints. Go back to playing."

"I want to hunt," Wolf admitted. "Can I?"

"It's too cold," Chillybrook told him. "Tomorrow."

Wolf flattened his ears. Creek nudged him, and the to-be's padded glumly back to their nests. Jaggedstone's heart hurt – they hardly knew what had happened to cause the never-ending cold. This was the only world they really knew. Palemoon's kits and, if they lived, Lightningarc's, would see this as their reality and they would know nothing of what was before.

He looked to the tunnel to Stoneteller's cavern. _Please,_ he thought. _Please let there be hope…_


	3. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_Sunshine glared against the snow, a_ bright white flash that made Otterpaw narrow her eyes. The dark shapes of her companions blotted out the dazzling light, and Otterpaw sighed. They were far ahead of her.

Her leg ached. Three days ago, the jaws of a fox clamped down onto one of her back legs, tearing into the flesh. Her companions beat off the fox, and the Four continued their journey into the mountains, but none of them knew that there would be so much _snow._

Snakepaw of ShadowClan, the smallest of them, was in up to his belly, with snow dusting his whiskers and muzzle. His brown tabby-striped pelt was a dark blot in the whiteness of the landscape.

Hollypaw of ThunderClan was out front, ahead of them all, the ginger patches on her pelt glowing in the sunshine. She looked back at Otterpaw, concern in her copper gaze – a medicine cat apprentice just looking in on her patient.

Swiftpaw was the closest to Otterpaw. He barely left her side and though Otterpaw wished he would stop worrying she had to admit she was grateful for the company. Swiftpaw's long WindClan legs held him higher than the others, and his pelt was a black shadow in the snow.

"This snow is getting on my nerves," Snakepaw stated grumpily. His voice carried over the silent, snow-laden landscape. "I had enough of it in leaf-bare!"

"So did we all," Swiftpaw agreed.

Otterpaw could only nod, trying to focus all her energy into making it seem like her leg didn't hurt. The last leaf-bare had been hard, with cats dying in all the Clans from greencough and other illnesses. The snows had made it hard for the Clans to find prey – especially Otterpaw's Clan, RiverClan.

RiverClan's primary diet was fish, and when the rivers were frozen, there were no fish to be had.

_But if we don't make it to the Rim,_ Otterpaw thought, looking up at the distant gray-blue peaks and wondering which one was their destination, _we'll have something worse to worry about._

Hollypaw's vision promised a leaf-bare without end, where the snows piled as high as a warrior's head, all the rivers frozen solid, and nothing living could survive. The thought of it made her shiver.

Her vision had also spoken of powers that were given to all four of them – Hollypaw's ability to speak with StarClan, Snakepaw's ability to blend into his surroundings, Swiftpaw's ability to run faster than any warrior of his Clan, and Otterpaw's ability to…

_Breathe underwater,_ Otterpaw finished. Looking at the bleak, water-less landscape, she couldn't help but think, _What use is the ability to breathe underwater when it will all be frozen? What use is the ability to breathe underwater anyway?_

"What should we do?" Snakepaw asked, bringing Otterpaw out of her dismal thoughts.

Hollypaw glanced anxiously at Otterpaw. "How's your leg?" she asked, padding closer through the drifts.

Otterpaw edged backward, feeling the muscle in her back leg stab with pain. "Fine," she meowed through gritted teeth.

Hollypaw didn't listen. She padded around Otterpaw and gave her leg a sniff. "You need to rest," she decided.

"Already?" Snakepaw growled. "We've just started moving!"

"Just a short rest!" Hollypaw snapped back. "Plowing through the snow takes a lot more effort than you think. It's straining her muscles to walk as it is."

Hollypaw touched her nose to Otterpaw's leg. Otterpaw flinched, but if she pulled away now it would look as if her leg hurt her more than it really did.

"The exposed flesh is warm," Hollypaw reported. "We rest now or we risk Otterpaw's leg getting infected."

Snakepaw flattened his ears. He didn't directly look at Otterpaw, but she had the sinking feeling that his anger was being directed mostly at her for being so… weak.

Hollypaw narrowed her eyes. "I'm not taking any chances," she said in a low, even tone. It brooked no argument.

"I'll go hunting, then," Snakepaw decided.

"Don't go far," Swiftpaw warned.

Snakepaw lashed his tail, but didn't reply. He turned and plowed through the snow. Otterpaw watched his dark shape slowly but surely blend into the white landscape until she couldn't see him anymore.

"Come on," Hollypaw offered. "There's a more sheltered place just up ahead."

_Stop babying me,_ Otterpaw growled in her mind; but she allowed Hollypaw to help her keep going.

Otterpaw laid down on a patch of snowless ground – a rare sight – that was sheltered by an overhanging rock. Had they approached from the other side, it would have just looked like a snow hill. Icicles reflected the sun with watery light, dappling the underside of their shelter with glowing dots.

Swiftpaw patted one of them with his paw, glancing at Otterpaw with twitching whiskers.

"I wish there were herbs," Hollypaw muttered, circling Otterpaw. "I wish it weren't so snowy…"

"I thought it thawed up here," Swiftpaw meowed.

"Leafwhisker said it would," Hollypaw told him. "He wouldn't let me gather you all up to leave for the Rim until it thawed. He wouldn't have known that it hadn't."

"Maybe it takes longer up here?" Otterpaw suggested.

Hollypaw narrowed her eyes. "Maybe," she mewed. "But something about this feels wrong."

Otterpaw sighed. Medicine cats! Everything felt strange or odd or wrong to them. Everything was a sign. Otterpaw pushed herself up and began to gently wash the hot, warm flesh for her wounded leg. The wound had closed, but it was still puffy and tender.

_Stupid stupid stupid!_ She told herself fiercely. _Loonfeather taught you _some_ fighting moves!_ She was half a warrior – she should have been able to defend herself from a _fox!_

"Not so rough," Hollypaw warned. "You'll open it up again."

Otterpaw washed more gently.

Hollypaw sat down on the tough ground, working her paws into the dirt. Her extra toes kneaded the dirt especially well, and Otterpaw wondered why it was she felt the need to be so motherly.

"Are you cold?" Swiftpaw ask, murmuring in her ear.

"I'm fine," Otterpaw stammered back. Her fur fluffed, contradicting her. _At least I don't have a fever…_

Swiftpaw laid down beside her anyway, pressing his pelt against hers. Otterpaw wished he hadn't, knowing deep down that he was only so close to her because he felt he owed her. She could faintly recall a conversation between he and Hollypaw about his feelings for her, but she didn't want to believe it.

How could he care for her, with her huge paws and worthless powers?

She looked out into the snowbound landscape. _What use could I possibly be like this?_ she wondered.


	4. Chapter 2

**I will admit that the MountainClan names are really just bastardizations of Clan names. It's a terrible mishmash of Clan and Tribe, and I went for something like SkyClan's naming. Like those really ridiculous names you come across with younger readers who are just getting into the stories and making their OCs - there's nothing wrong with them, but the names don't really make much sense to the Lake Clan cats.**

**Funny you should mention what's happening with Cherrypaw and the Lake Clans, though... Cherrypaw is actually the focus of the next chapter. Or two. Or three. Haven't decided yet.**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

_Snakepaw frowned. His belly growled for_ more, but the rabbit lying between the four of them was all he had managed to find. It had been scrawny to begin with, with barely a bit of meat on its bones, and it hadn't been hard at all to catch. Otterpaw had been given the most of it, but even then Snakepaw figured her stomach was hardly full.

"The prey here is terrible," Snakepaw decided, poking at the bones with one paw. "The further we go, the less we find."

"But we have to keep going," Hollypaw insisted. Determination glowed in her eyes. "We have to reach the Rim of the World!"

"We know that," Snakepaw grumbled. He glanced at Otterpaw. Each day, they got held back by her injury. Each day, the flesh became redder and more strained. Each day, it was apparent that Otterpaw was not well.

Otterpaw narrowed her eyes and looked away from them all, her sun-colored eyes burning into her large white paws. They, at least, had not lost their fire yet.

"It would be too much trouble to go back now," Hollypaw meowed. "We still have time before we're expected back at the lake… and we _have_ to hear this message."

"What do we expect to find, though?" Swiftpaw wondered, looking up at the blue-gray peaks in the distance. One rose higher than the rest. All of them were tipped with snow, and it looked like more was on the way. "Can we even find MountainClan in this mess?"

"Of course we can!" Otterpaw snapped, looking up. She glared at them all, her eyes blazing. "We have to, like Hollypaw said! If we go back now, then who knows what will happen to the Clans? We'll lose everything and everyone we love!"

_Bold words for you,_ Snakepaw thought. _But she's right._

Hollypaw nodded in agreement. She glanced at Snakepaw. "Any signs of MountainClan cats?" she asked.

Snakepaw shook his head. "Nothing this far out," he meowed. "With all this snow, I expect that they'll be tightening up their territory to keep cats fit and fed."

"We need to find some sort of sign soon," Swiftpaw pointed out. "Or we'll end up going in circles."

"What we need is a vantage point," Snakepaw meowed. "A tree, a rock – something that's high that we can use to figure out where we are. With all this snow on the ground there's hardly any landmarks, and every rock looks the same."

"Loonfeather mentioned that MountainClan lived behind a giant waterfall," Otterpaw added. "That would be visible from a distance – water that moves _that_ fast doesn't freeze easily."

"But where are we going to find something like that?" Hollypaw wondered. She sighed, her shoulders sagging. "We have to keep going."

Snakepaw's stomach growled, and he flicked an ear.

"There has to be more food," Swiftpaw added, throwing Snakepaw a sympathetic glance. "MountainClan can't survive off of rabbits this scrawny."

"I heard they hunted eagles," Otterpaw pointed out. She looked up at the sky. "Have we seen any?"

"No," Hollypaw breathed, "and I don't want to. We're no match for eagles."

Snakepaw highly doubted that. But he had to agree in some way – this was unfamiliar territory and fighting an eagle was a bad idea to begin with. They had to focus on finding what easy prey they could before they started thinking about hunting an eagle. Even with their powers, an eagle was still much more of a danger than an angry fox.

They cleaned up their prey remains and got moving again. Swiftpaw took the lead, with Hollypaw walking beside Otterpaw. Snakepaw trailed at the end of the line, looking back now and then to make sure they weren't being followed.

Snow crunched beneath their paws, the sound so monotonous that the Four didn't seem to hear it anymore. Snakepaw missed the soft pine needles beneath his pads, the warm earth and sunshine of the woods he had grown up in.

He missed ShadowClan – he missed Tigerpaw, and Sleetpaw, and even Limpetwing. He missed hunting in the dark, his eyes glowing in the half-light, his prey unsuspecting. He missed sparring with his sister, knowing he wouldn't win but willing to try his hardest anyway. He missed putting beetles in his denmates' nests with Sleetpaw, and he even missed getting yelled at for it by Addernose and Limpetwing.

Homesickness clenched in his belly.

_Will I ever see home again?_ Snakepaw wondered. The snows here were so thick, and it was more than easy to get lost. As optimistic as Swiftpaw and Otterpaw were, Snakepaw did not find himself catching on to it.

_How can anything… even a Clan… survive in such conditions?_ He wondered. He recalled Dustleaf's description of what was to come, and he shuddered.

If MountainClan was out there… how many could possibly be left by now?

* * *

"See anything?" Snakepaw called.

Hollypaw clung to the dead wood of the scraggly tree. It was the first and only tree they had found, bare of leaves and life, with roots that clung to the rocks around it and curled outward like eagle talons. Hollypaw was balanced in the tree, the ginger patches on her pelt the only thing giving away her position.

"I see a pass through the rocks," Hollypaw called. "It's not wholly blocked by snow, but it might be after tonight."

Snakepaw looked forward, trying to follow her point of view. The Four had wandered for another day, only to end up in a hollow ringed by the steep sides of the surrounding mountains. It had snowed lightly last night, but with the dark clouds on the horizon Snakepaw wagered tonight it would do more than flurry.

"Be careful up there," Snakepaw growled. The tree was balanced on a large stone that jutted out over the hollow, and Snakepaw stood at the top. Swiftpaw took Otterpaw below – though the RiverClan she-cat refused to complain about her leg, it was obvious it was bothering her. The shelter beneath the tree and in the hollow would block the wind that whistled in Snakepaw's ear.

Hollypaw flicked her tail dismissively. "Tree-climbing is easy," she meowed. "You should try it sometime."

_No thanks,_ Snakepaw thought. Tree-climbing was a useful skill, but only to ThunderClan cats. ShadowClan territory was covered in pine trees with their straight, tall trunks and no pawholds to be seen. They'd never had to climb those trees before, and he doubted they would any time soon.

Hollypaw turned and picked her way down the tree, her claws sinking confidently into the bark. She leaped and landed on all fours beside Snakepaw, who took a step away from her.

She shook out her pelt and remarked, "We should get through – I think I spotted that waterfall. The one Otterpaw mentioned yesterday."

"Can she make it?" Snakepaw asked.

"If we can make it to MountainClan's camp," Hollypaw breathed, "yes, she can."

"Then let's get her there as soon as possible," Snakepaw grumbled.

He took a step down the slope, but he felt Hollypaw's tail touch his flank. He looked back at her, and saw that her copper eyes were troubled.

"What is it?" he asked.

"My dreams have been… odd," Hollypaw told him. She sat on her haunches, shifting her paws. "Ever since we entered the mountains, I haven't seen hide or hair of any StarClan cats."

"MountainClan doesn't believe in StarClan, though," Snakepaw pointed out.

Hollypaw nodded. "I know," she replied. "But I haven't seen any of _their_ ancestors, either. It's cold and snowy up there, like it is down here. I can't even _scent_ any cats. They're all… gone."

_Gone?_ Snakepaw thought. A deep sense of bewilderment filled him. How could a Clan's ancestors just abandon them like that? He dug his claws into the snow-covered stone. Though he didn't place much faith in StarClan anymore after the death of his mother, he knew that it would hurt those who believed in their spirit ancestors and looked to them for guidance.

He narrowed his eyes at Hollypaw. Why was she telling him this? She knew about his lack of faith. Was she trying to force him to believe?

"I'm not trying to force anything on you Snakepaw," Hollypaw murmured. "But think about how they feel? Our ancestors guide us and advise us, send us signs and warnings. They're always there, whether you believe in them or not – but imagine if that sense of comfort and understanding just… disappeared? If MountainClan's ancestors are missing, then that means something happened to them."

"What do you think happened, then?" Snakepaw asked.

Hollypaw nudged a ball of snow at her paws. "I think it might have to do with the snow," she meowed. "Something strange is going on here, Snakepaw, and I think MountainClan might be in trouble."

A loud yowling from below the tree caused Snakepaw and Hollypaw to bristle and charge to the edge of the ridge, their claws gripping the edge of the hollow and their fur brushing.

Unfamiliar scent washed over Snakepaw, the smell of stone and water rank with fear. A mud-covered shape was padding towards Swiftpaw and Otterpaw beneath the tree, their pelt thin and ragged against their lean, skinny shape. Snakepaw could see every bone in their body, and their eyes were dull, sunken-in orbs of amber light.

Swiftpaw padded out to face their enemy, muzzle drawn back to reveal his teeth. The cat, though older, was smaller than Swiftpaw. Skinny as the WindClan tom was, Snakepaw noted that he made the unfamiliar cat seem even skinnier. His long, thin tail lashed.

"Get out of here if you know what's good for you!" Swiftpaw warned, spitting at the unfamiliar, mud-covered cat.

Snakepaw tensed and crouched to spring, knowing that there could very well be more of these mud-cats around. Otterpaw would need protecting, and possibly Hollypaw as well.

He unsheathed his claws and prepared to spring, but Hollypaw laid her tail across his shoulders.

"Don't," she mewed.

"What? Why?" Snakepaw demanded.

Her voice rose, and she called, "You're from MountainClan, aren't you?"

The lean cat took a step back, fur fluffing out. They didn't reply, only stared blankly at Hollypaw. Then, the cat took off, heading through the pass with surprising speed.

"Follow him!" Hollypaw called.

Swiftpaw was a black streak as he pelted through the pass, snow spraying from his paws like clouds.

Hollypaw looked down and Snakepaw and meowed, "You go too – I'll stay with Otterpaw. Send Swiftpaw back when you find their camp!"

Snakepaw nodded and crept down the slope, picking up speed. He pressed against the rocks, willing them to color his pelt. He glanced at his paws to find them turning white, flecked with snow and stone. Eventually his entire form was camouflaged, and he followed Swiftpaw's obvious trail through the snow-ridden pass.

On the other side, surrounded by hills and stones – but mostly snow – was the foot of a large mountain that reached higher into the sky than the others. A frozen lake lay in the middle of the hollow, the source of a river that they had seen now and again along their trip.

Swiftpaw stood in the snow, a black speck in the white landscape, looking up at the most bizarre thing that Snakepaw had ever seen – a cave, driven deep into the mountainside. He could not see its darkest depths. Looking up he saw a great frozen chunk of ice, with only a trickle of running water splashing down into the icy lake before them.

The waterfall was frozen.

"It's their camp," Snakepaw whispered. "We made it!"

But looking at the frozen landscape – what had they found?


	5. Chapter 3

**I'm sorry it's taken so long to update this! I've got these next two chapters written, but I don't know who's PoV to go to next to make it make sense. It'll either be ShadowClan or one of the Four.**

**Besides that, this is the beginning of what's happening while the Four are away! Each Clan will have their own little thing going on, and they will take place in Cherrypaw, Sleetpaw, Boulderpaw, and Feathermask's PoV. These will mostly deal with how Icefang's influence is affecting the cats back at the lake - but Icefang isn't the only problem!**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

_Cherrypaw lapped at her flank, stretching_ her muscles to reach. She had grown larger since she had become an apprentice, and she was growing even faster now that she was training beneath the mysterious and powerful Icefang.

The white she-cat's whispers had filled Cherrypaw's ears since the day her eldest sister Hollypaw, the medicine cat apprentice of ThunderClan, left for the mountains – a trip that Cherrypaw adamantly believed Hollypaw had no right to go on. Why should a medicine cat go on a trip meant for warriors?

Oh, because _StarClan_ said so.

Hollypaw was up to something, throwing her weight around like she did. Cherrypaw knew it, and she knew that Hollypaw would do everything she could to meddle with Cherrypaw's destiny.

_I'm meant to lead this Clan,_ Cherrypaw thought. _Icefang promised me that. I'm meant to lead this Clan and make it stronger than it ever was. No waiting until newleaf to get back stolen territory – when I lead this Clan, no cat will dare take anything of ours._

"Cherrypaw!"

Cherrypaw flicked an ear. Rosepaw was approaching. The pale ginger tabby was the middle kit, born between Hollypaw and Cherrypaw. Rosepaw was sweet, but not the smartest of the sisters. She tended to use her heart more than her mind.

_Thinking with your heart is not always weakness,_ Icefang whispered. Cherrypaw almost flinched at the chill in her ear. Icefang always seemed to know what she was thinking. _You must use your heart as well as your head to lead your Clan to greatness. Mercy balanced with ferocity makes for a great leader._

Cherrypaw glanced up from her thoughtful wash and asked, "What?"

"Ivyshade said that all apprentices need to report to the training hollow," Rosepaw declared. "She's running us through some scenario drills."

_Scenario drills?_ Cherrypaw thought. Goosefur, her old mentor, had never mentioned them. The old tom was an elder now, weakened by leaf-bare sickness. Ivyshade, the Clan deputy, was Cherrypaw's new mentor – something that Cherrypaw ought to feel proud of; but Ivyshade was much harder to manipulate than Goosefur.

"Are Fallowpaw and Thrushpaw coming?" Cherrypaw asked. The brothers were the eldest apprentices, with nearly six whole moons of training. It would seem frivolous (and unfair) to Cherrypaw if they were included.

"Ivyshade said _everyone,"_ Rosepaw expressed. "Come on – you know how impatient she is."

Cherrypaw sighed, lamenting the fact that her fur was about to be ruffled despite the wash. She pushed herself up and followed Rosepaw out of the camp, pushing through the thorn barrier and into the lush newleaf-fresh forest outside.

* * *

At a sprint, they reached the training hollow quickly. Sand covered its floor, making for a soft landing if some cat fell. Leaf-shadows dappled the clearing as sunhigh came and filled the hollow with a warmth that Cherrypaw couldn't recall feeling before.

_I spent most of my life in the cold seasons,_ Cherrypaw recalled. _Anything feels warmer than leaf-bare._

Ivyshade's black pelt soaked up the sunshine. She sat in the middle of the clearing, apprentices and warriors all around her. Fallowpaw and Thrushpaw sat with their mentors, Antstep and Toadstripe. Sorrelnose, who had mentored Fallowpaw and Thrushpaw's sister, Robinpaw, before her death, was with his new apprentice Lionpaw, coaching him through some swiping techniques. Nettlepaw was with his mentor Brightflame, watching his brother intently. Brightflame glanced at her daughters as they arrived, giving Cherrypaw and Rosepaw a nod.

Moleclaw, Rosepaw's mentor, was sitting with Bramblepelt, the only warrior here without an apprentice. Moleclaw brightened when Rosepaw appeared, as if the young warrior were nervous about being alone with all these older cats. Rosepaw flicked her tail and padded over to him. Cherrypaw padded up to Ivyshade and sat in the sand, patiently waiting her task.

Ivyshade blinked, then stood. She padded out before the group of cats and announced, "Welcome, apprentices, to your first scenario session. In these sessions, we shall be split into two groups – each group will have one objective – to capture the other group's point. Once one group captures the opponents point, they are declared the winner. Understand?"

The apprentices murmured, but nodded. Cherrypaw yawned. The sessions sounded nice and all, but what good was it going to serve other than getting her fur dirty?

"These sessions will help you apprentices hone your skills," Ivyshade went on, ignoring Cherrypaw's yawn. "In the field of battle we are all fighting for something important – this will help you focus on that important thing. Focus in battle is important. The opposite team are not your Clanmates – they are your enemy, trying to steal your territory – but we do not unsheathe our claws, understand?"

All nodded in agreement.

"Then we shall begin," Ivyshade decided. "Bramblepelt – you will lead the team of Toadstripe, Thrushpaw, Cherrypaw, Sorrelnose, and Lionpaw. Your objective will be to capture the stick lying on the opposite side of the clearing. Understood?"

"Yes," Bramblepelt decided. He raised his tail, and his team gathered around him. Cherrypaw shot a questioning look at Ivyshade – was she not going to battle with her apprentice?

Cherrypaw settled between Thrushpaw and Sorrelnose in the line that Bramblepelt's team made. Cherrypaw saw their goal – a large stick situated at the opposite end of the clearing. Turning around, Cherrypaw found another stick of similar shape and size behind them.

"The rest of you will be lead by Brightflame, and will try to capture Bramblepelt's stick," Ivyshade declared. She looked at Cherrypaw. "This first battle will have mentors working with apprentices; but don't worry, Cherrypaw – I'm keeping a sharp eye on you. I will join the next bout and Bramblepelt will replace me as referee from then on. The best of three battles wins first pick of the fresh-kill pile!"

"We're going to win!" called Thrushpaw.

"As if!" Rosepaw retorted, her fur bristling with eagerness. Beside her, Lionpaw and Fallowpaw were crouched, eyes eager to begin.

"I'll beat you this time, Lionpaw!" Nettlepaw declared.

Lionpaw lashed his tail and shouted back, "We'll see!"

Bramblepelt glanced at the warriors. "Keep an eye on the apprentices," he said, quiet enough for the other team to be deaf to his calls. "I want two cats heading for the goal at all times – should one falter, the other will take their place."

"Cherrypaw and I can do that," Toadstripe decided. He glanced at Cherrypaw. She was irritated, but she couldn't say no. She nodded.

On the other side, Cherrypaw could see Brightflame coaching her team. What she was saying, Cherrypaw couldn't hear – but Lionpaw looked very excited.

"Claws sheathed!" Ivyshade called, her voice silencing the groups. "Begin!"

Cherrypaw followed Thrushpaw and Nettlepaw as they surged forward. Sorrelnose took off in the other direction, his legs pumping hard. Brightflame rushed over and intercepted him, her ginger-and-white tail bushed out. The two collapsed into a pile of ginger-streaked fur, battering each other with sheathed paws.

_Focus!_ Icefang whispered.

Cherrypaw's head whipped around just in time to see Rosepaw hurtling towards her.

_Stop running!_ Icefang demanded.

Cherrypaw halted her paws, grinding her teeth together at the pain of the sand grinding against her paw pads. Rosepaw, shocked and unable to stop, crashed into Cherrypaw at full pelt and tumbled over her sister to crash into the sandy ground.

Panting, Cherrypaw glanced at her sister. Had she hurt Rosepaw?

Rosepaw looked up, her yellow eyes gleaming with amusement. Cherrypaw breathed a sigh of relief and got back onto her paws, taking off towards the branch.

Bramblepelt ran beside her for a moment, before intercepting Antstep as the small tom tried to cut Cherrypaw off. Cherrypaw surged forward, leaping over a tussling Moleclaw and Toadstripe.

_Almost there!_ Cherrypaw thought. The stick was in sight, and the path was clear.

Suddenly, Cherrypaw felt her hind legs buckle. A heavy weight was pressing down on her, and Cherrypaw was squashed beneath a mound of golden brown tabby fur. Lionpaw was on top of her, his paws planted in her shoulders. As strong as Cherrypaw was, Lionpaw was already heavier than she could hope to lift.

"Gotcha!" Lionpaw declared.

A high-pitched yowl brought the scuffle to an end.

"A wonderful capture by Fallowpaw – Brightflame's team is the winner!" Ivyshade yowled.

Cherrypaw glanced at the stick, just three tail-lengths away. She spat and sighed, pressing her face into the sand. _I'm a failure,_ she thought dismally.

_Not a failure,_ Icefang told her. _An apprentice._

"That was _awesome!"_ Nettlepaw declared. "Again, again!"

Lionpaw lifted himself off of Cherrypaw, and the tortoiseshell apprentice sat up, shaking her fur of sand. Ivyshade padded into the middle of the clearing as the two groups gathered at their sides of the clearing. Cherrypaw washed her chest fur, tail-tip flicking in irritation at how dirty she was now.

"Lionpaw came out of nowhere!" Thrushpaw mewed, looking sympathetically at Cherrypaw. "None of us saw that coming."

"We'll look out for it now," Toadstripe promised.

"Bramblepelt will take over as referee now," Ivyshade decided. Bramblepelt flicked his tail and padded up to Ivyshade. He took her place as Ivyshade's black shape padded to Cherrypaw's group.

_The deputy is on our side now,_ Cherrypaw thought, casting a triumphant glare at the other team. _We'll win for sure this time!_

"Claw sheathed!" warned Bramblepelt. "Begin!"

* * *

Cherrypaw's team lost twice more.

She flopped down before the apprentice's den, her _everything_ aching. How could they lose all three practice matches? Ivyshade was one of the best warriors in the Clan – she was the deputy, for StarClan's sake!

The other apprentices were equally exhausted. Each had had their chance to practice their moves against the warriors of the Clan, and only a few proved that they were more than the warriors could handle. Lionpaw, of course, was able to take down Antstep with a few well-aimed blows with his powerful paws. Thrushpaw had been an unpredictable force on the field, even though his team had lost all three matches.

Cherrypaw herself, with Icefang's help, was able to keep Moleclaw and Fallowpaw at bay when they tried to take her team's stick – but Antstep had overwhelmed her and they had won. Two opponents had been hard, but Cherrypaw's shoulders ached from where Antstep had landed. Small though he was, he was a powerful warrior.

Rosepaw brought over a squirrel and a mouse, and the two of them began tearing at the fresh-kill hungrily. Soon enough all the apprentices were eating, and then quietly, tiredly sharing tongues with one another.

When Ivyshade padded before them they stopped. Her pelt glowed red in the half-light of the fading day, her green eyes yellow.

"You all did well today," Ivyshade declared. "You may sleep until sunhigh tomorrow."

Cherrypaw sighed with relief. The other apprentices did the same.

"I'm sure you are all wondering why today's training session even happened," Ivyshade meowed, "and I am here to tell you that it was so Sparrowstar and I could asses which apprentices will be coming with us to retake our territory from ShadowClan."

Ears pricked, and heads rose. Cherrypaw looked at her mentor in surprise. It had been a test?

"We want only the most skilled apprentices with the main battle party, to minimize casualties," Ivyshade informed them. "With Leafwhisker working on his own for the time being, we don't want any unnecessary injuries."

_Of course it has to be about Hollypaw somehow,_ Cherrypaw thought bitterly.

"Tomorrow Sparrowstar plans to announce which of you will be going," Ivyshade meowed. "Rest until then, and reflect on what you have learned. For some of you, this will be your first battle with claws unsheathed – mistakes can be fatal."

Ivyshade padded away, leaving the apprentices to whisper and chatter excitedly about the upcoming fight. Cherrypaw sat up, frowning.

_My team lost,_ she thought. She glanced at the other apprentices – at how excited Fallowpaw and Rosepaw and Lionpaw seemed about the whole thing. Cherrypaw grumbled to herself and then looked at the Highledge, where Ivyshade sat talking with Sparrowstar.

_If I'm meant for greatness, how can I lose?_


	6. Chapter 4

**You'd be entirely shocked to know just how many of my character's traits are spontaneous.**

**The answer is more than it should be.**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

_Cherrypaw wasn't sure who was more_ excited – the warriors, or the apprentices.

It seemed as if the entire camp was buzzing with excitement, though – the news about the upcoming battle had spread quickly. The warriors had known all along about the plan, of course – the apprentices had just found out yesterday.

Still sore from the practice fight, Cherrypaw settled herself between Rosepaw and Lionpaw. Fallowpaw and Thrushpaw were talking excitedly, as if this battle would be their chance to prove that they were ready to be warriors. They were certainly old enough, but Cherrypaw doubted it was as easy as marking territory.

"I wonder who they'll choose?" Rosepaw murmured.

Nettlepaw squirmed beside her. "Me, hopefully!" he purred. He was sheathing and unsheathing his claws. "I can't wait to tear into some ShadowClan fur!"

Rosepaw's eyes flashed. "Don't get me wrong – I want to give my all to protect my territory, but…"

"But what?" Cherrypaw asked. Rosepaw had always been the weaker one. She never liked violence, and had always hated playing rough games as a kit. She'd taken to her apprentice training well – but was she already so soft?

There was a tremor in her voice. "I just don't want anyone to get hurt," she said.

"We'll be fine," Lionpaw told her reassuringly.

_As if a runt like you would be going!_ Cherrypaw thought. Though she had to admit that Lionpaw was definitely no runt – the golden tabby was rather large despite his age.

"We'd be fighting trained warriors," he went on. "Those who follow the warrior code. Not loners or rogues. They wouldn't hurt you too badly, even if it is over territory."

Rosepaw flashed him a grateful glance.

Cherrypaw looked up at the Highledge. Sparrowstar stood there, his powerful frame brightening as the sun rose over the lake. His copper eyes were gleaming as he looked down upon his Clan – he was proud, and he had every right to be. Ivyshade was below the Highledge, sitting next to Leafwhisker as if she were the shadow of the tabby tom.

Sparrowstar's voice rose high above the clamor. "I'm sure you all know why I've called this meeting," he meowed. "Today is the day we take back our territory from ShadowClan!"

The entire Clan erupted into cheers. Cherrypaw flicked her tail-tip, watching her father intently. _That will be me one day, filling my Clan with hope and strength._

"Ivyshade and I have been talking about our strategy. We've decided to take two groups," Sparrowstar went on. "One to re-mark the boundary, and the other to back up that patrol in case fighting should happen. The first patrol will be riskier, as it will be smaller – but the second patrol will be far larger and not far behind.

"The warriors in the first patrol will be Waspstorm and Brightflame, led by Ivyshade," Sparrowstar announced. "The second patrol will consist of myself, Badgerfang, Bramblepelt, Moleclaw, Sorrelnose, Toadstripe, Cloudpelt, and Sootwhisker. This leaves Antstep, Honeycloud, and Squirreltail to defend the camp."

Antstep looked downhearted, but none of the other warriors seemed to disapprove of Sparrowstar's choice.

"And the apprentices?" asked Waspstorm.

"Ivyshade assessed them yesterday," Sparrowstar meowed. "She has told me who is ready for this task, and who is not."

All of the apprentices leaned forward, ears pricked, eagerly anticipating what he would say next. Cherrypaw despised the waiting, but found herself as caught up in it as the rest of them. She held little hope – her team hadn't exactly been impressive yesterday.

"Nettlepaw, Rosepaw, and Thrushpaw will be on the second patrol," Sparrowstar announced. "Cherrypaw and Lionpaw will join Ivyshade in the first patrol, while Fallowpaw stays behind to help guard the camp."

"We're in the first patrol?" Lionpaw gasped. He nudged Cherrypaw. "We're in the first patrol!"

Cherrypaw was markedly confused, though excited. Her team had lost so much yesterday - so why was Ivyshade including her in the first patrol? The first patrol was for the most skilled apprentices.

"Mouse-dung!" cursed Fallowpaw. He drooped. "Guarding the camp is an honor and all, but I _really_ wanted to fight…"

"I'm glad I'm not on the first patrol," Rosepaw admitted, breathing a sigh of relief. "So much pressure!" She looked at Cherrypaw fondly. "I'll be there to fight by your side, though, when things get tough!"

"Begin your preparations," Sparrowstar called. "We leave to change the border at sunhigh!"

"Come on, Nettlepaw," Lionpaw offered. "Let's go practice your swiping."

"I'll come too!" Rosepaw offered.

"Me, too," Thrushpaw agreed.

The three apprentices followed Lionpaw back to the apprentice's den. Cherrypaw watched as they began their practice. Lionpaw and Nettlepaw were wrestling, while Rosepaw and Thrushpaw were circling one another with eyes narrowed and teeth bared in mock hostility.

Cherrypaw itched to join them.

"Something wrong?"

Cherrypaw felt Ivyshade sit down beside her.

"Are you nervous?" Ivyshade asked.

"A little bit," Cherrypaw lied. Truthfully, with Icefang at her side, Cherrypaw knew nothing bad would happen to her. She would fight her hardest, impress her Clan, and then wait for the next opportunity to do it again.

"Liar," Ivyshade scoffed. "I know you well enough to know that you're too arrogant to be nervous."

Cherrypaw narrowed her eyes at Ivyshade. It was another moment where she would have much rather had Goosefur as her mentor again – _he_ didn't call her arrogant. He went along with Cherrypaw's words like the old fool he was.

"You want to know why I chose you, even though you lost yesterday," Ivyshade went on. "The answer to that is you're a good fighter – plain and simple. You took on two warriors at once yesterday. Apprentices your age usually have a hard time using advanced techniques, but you don't. So I chose you to accompany me on the first patrol."

"I see," Cherrypaw mewed. _She thinks I'm a good fighter!_ She thought. _Soon I'll be the best in the entire Clan!_

Ivyshade's whiskers twitched. "Though, I don't think I would mind seeing a ShadowClan warriors wipe that smugness off of your face," she admitted.

Cherrypaw blinked at her in shock. Was the black-furred deputy wishing her apprentice _harm?_

"Fighting warriors over territory is nothing like fighting in practice bouts. Though," Ivyshade glanced at the deep vee in Cherrypaw's ear, "I'm sure you know just how fierce ShadowClan can be. This time, though, we'll be fighting to take something from them. Something they stole – but they still value it as theirs. They will fight harder for it than they did before."

Cherrypaw said nothing. There was a deep feeling of resentment brewing in her, aimed at Ivyshade. Who did she think she was? Cherrypaw was no weakling, and she would definitely not let another claw mark her body with a scar. If she saw that Tigerpaw at the battle, Cherrypaw was more than willing to give the tabby she-cat a taste of her own medicine.

"Go practice," Ivyshade decided. "Meet me in the clearing at sunhigh."

Sunhigh came, and the warriors chosen by Sparrowstar gathered in the clearing. Cherrypaw sat beside Brightflame, feeling Icefang's presence behind her. A chill crept up her spine and touched her ears, as if Icefang were breathing right beside them.

"Good luck," mewed Honeycloud. She brushed her muzzle against Bramblepelt, her mate, and then licked both her kits between their ears. Lionpaw and Nettlepaw blinked appreciatively at her.

Mintflower padded up to Sootwhisker and touched noses with her daughter. Then, she looked to Waspstorm. The pale gray she-cat meowed, "Briartail says to be careful."

"We will," Waspstorm mewed with confidence.

Cherrypaw glanced at her mother. Brightflame was staring off into the distance, but occasionally her eyes would stray across the camp, landing on warriors and apprentices and finally… Sparrowstar. Cherrypaw bristled, looking at her father only to see that Sparrowstar wasn't paying his former mate any attention. He was busy chatting over plans with Ivyshade.

She bristled. _How can she even still think of him?_ Cherrypaw wondered, furiously. _He turned a blind eye on Marigoldkit when she was dying. He didn't even care!_

_I'll never be so soft,_ Cherrypaw told herself. _I'll never let a tom use me._

"Looks like we're all set," Ivyshade decided. She was nodding briskly. "I'll take my patrol out and re-mark the border. We'll wait there."

"We'll be right behind you," Sparrowstar told her. "Within earshot."

Ivyshade raised her tail. "Brightflame, Waspstorm, Lionpaw, and Cherrypaw – to me!" she called. "We take back our territory today!"

Cheers erupted from all around Cherrypaw. Her Clanmates were bristling with excitement. Cherrypaw followed Brightflame as Ivyshade's patrol padded out of camp and into the forest. Her paws were tingling with excitement.

_Our territory is ours, ShadowClan – I'll tear through each and every one of you to prove it!_ She thought, whiskers twitching.

Beside her, Icefang said nothing – but the chill against Cherrypaw's shoulder was very, very comforting.


	7. Chapter 5

**My apologies for not updating this story in a while – I've been busy finishing up Dark Fever's first installment, and I wanted to create a nice backlog of this story so I would have time to work on other my other projects that don't involve fighting cats.**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"_ThunderClan is on our territory!" exclaimed_ Elmfoot.

The brown tom was at the entrance, panting. Sleetpaw looked up from his chat with Tigerpaw (over what type of prey was better, lizards or mice) to watch. The dawn patrol had only gone out what felt like a few heartbeats ago – and already there was trouble?

"What?" gasped Poppynose. She was sitting with Limpetwing in front of the warrior's den. "That's madness!"

Elmfoot swallowed, getting his breath back in gulps and gasps. He reported, "They're re-marking the border. It's a small patrol, but I think it's a trap. Thriftfoot and Yellowpaw are stalling them, and I sent Foxtail to fetch Darkbird's hunting patrol."

"You did well," Mothstar mewed. She sat up from her place just outside her den in the hollow tree. Addernose was with her, his eyes darkening. "Everyone! ThunderClan is attempting to take our territory. We must stand and fight!"

The few warriors left in camp cheered. Soon, every cat was clamoring for a spot in Mothstar's fighting party. Sleetpaw stood and mewed to Tigerpaw, "This is our chance!"

Tigerpaw nodded in agreement. Ever since her brother, Snakepaw, had gone on the trip to the mountains, Sleetpaw found himself getting closer to Tigerpaw than ever before. It was an amazing thing, getting to hunt and fight with her without Snakepaw getting in the way. Starting his training late made it even better – Tigerpaw was such a great apprentice that training with her was catching Sleetpaw up to his littermates Magpiepaw and Jaypaw.

Of course, he also had Icefang to thank for that. Her training was the only way he could hope to stand toe-to-toe with Tigerpaw in the first place. His confidence had never been higher – he felt like he could take on an entire Clan!

_Don't get ahead of yourself,_ Icefang whispered. _This battle is important. Make sure you take part!_

"Owlstorm, Firnose, and Redfeather, you're with me," Mothstar announced. "Limpetwing, Poppynose, and Hailcloud will watch the camp with Jaypaw. Sleetpaw and Tigerpaw will come with me. Together we will drive ThunderClan out of our territory!"

"Wow," Tigerpaw murmured. "We didn't even need to try and convince her!"

"I know!" Sleetpaw agreed. That was a great sign! Mothstar recognized their skill, even though they were just apprentices. Icefang's training was working!

Mothstar leaped into the crowd, muscles rippling beneath her golden pelt, and then dashed out of the camp. Warriors streamed after her as she did this, like fish leaping in the current. Sleetpaw and Tigerpaw, with a nod to one another, got to their paws and followed.

The territory went by in a blur – logs and puddles and snow piles were flashes by Sleetpaw's eyes. His paws skimmed the ground, and he felt as if he were the fastest cat in the world, even though the warriors were ahead of him.

As they bounded up the crest of a hill Sleetpaw could see through the gaps in the trees that the ThunderClan patrol was small – very small; but they outnumbered the ShadowClan patrol. It was clear that a fight was going to break out. The air stunk of ThunderClan scent markers, and Sleetpaw unsheathed his claws. _How dare they invade our territory!_

"Get off our territory!" spat Thriftfoot. Yellowpaw was pacing behind him, her golden pelt fluffed out and claws unsheathed. She had locked eyes with a tortoiseshell ThunderClan apprentice whose ear was cut into a deep, familiar v-shape.

_Cherrypaw,_ Sleetpaw thought. The ThunderClan deputy Ivyshade was there as well, along with Waspstorm, Brightflame, and the bulky ThunderClan apprentice Lionpaw.

Sleetpaw could feel Icefang's breath in his ear. _Lionpaw is the one to watch out for,_ she whispered.

"What do you think you're doing, ThunderClan?" Mothstar challenged. She stood tall and proud atop the hill, her golden pelt glowing in the sunlight. "Get off of our territory, or face the consequences."

She raised her tail, and the warriors crept forward with narrowed eyes and sharp claws. Sleetpaw and Tigerpaw padded forward with them, lashing their tails.

Ivyshade's expression did not change. "We are taking back territory that belongs to us," she growled.

_How can she not be afraid?_ Sleetpaw wondered. _She's outnumbered at least two to one!_

"This territory is ShadowClan's," declared Mothstar. "We will fight for it."

"If it's a fight you want, Mothstar," Ivyshade went on, "it's a fight you'll get!"

The sleek black she-cat sprang on Thriftfoot, and all at once the wooded area was filled with writhing, screeching cats locked in battle. Mothstar shouted a battle cry, and the warriors surged forward. Sleetpaw leaped, feeling air beneath his paws, and landed on Waspstorm.

The older golden warrior bundled him away easily with a slash, snorting as if Sleetpaw was no challenge. Sleetpaw whipped around, about to show Waspstorm that he _was_ a threat, but the golden tabby warrior was already wrestling on the ground with Owlstorm.

Brightflame let out a screech of her own, and the tortoiseshell she-cat locked claws with Mothstar. The two were a golden-and-red blur as they writhed across the battlefield. Sleetpaw curled his lip knowing that Mothstar was being challenged by a common warrior.

Tigerpaw was locked in a fierce battle with Cherrypaw, vengeance burning in the tortoiseshell apprentice's eyes. Cherrypaw's fighting moves were fierce and fast, and the two she-cats seemed to be evenly matched… and then Sleetpaw spotted Lionpaw, ready to leap in and turn the odds in Cherrypaw's favor.

_Not on my watch!_ Sleetpaw growled inwardly. He leaped – a gray-and-white blur in the air – and landed on top of the golden brown tom.

Sleetpaw tore out clump after clump of golden fur as Lionpaw writhed beneath him. Sleetpaw relished his advantage – but he relished it for too long. Lionpaw's powerful hind paws slammed into his stomach, and Sleetpaw was flung halfway across the battlefield – just in time to see ThunderClan reinforcements arrive.

He stared in horror as Sparrowstar howled his battle cry – "For ThunderClan!" – and bowled over Mothstar. Together, he and Brightflame fought with the ShadowClan leader, paws swiping and slashing in unison. Badgerfang – known for her battle skills – landed on Redfeather and tore clumps out of her fur until the queen ran screeching for mercy.

Sleetpaw sat up and his heart quailed – even if Darkbird's hunting patrol arrived, this battle was lost. They were too greatly outnumbered.

_Fight!_ Icefang demanded, her breath cold against his ear fur. _If you give up now, then your enemies will walk all over you. Fight like a warrior, even if you're going to lose!_

Sleetpaw shook out his doubts and turned back. Tigerpaw was being backed up against a pine tree – her eyes burned with resentment, but Sleetpaw knew that if no one came to her aid she would have to flee. He charged through the battle, dodging wrestling warriors, summoned all his strength, and then bowled over Lionpaw.

The golden apprentice cried out as he fell into Cherrypaw, who cried out as she fell against Rosepaw. The three apprentices landed in a pile of one another, legs and tails tangled – but it was Cherrypaw who was free first.

Sleetpaw prepared himself for a flurry of blows – but a flurry was an understatement. Cherrypaw's angry blows were a storm lashing the lakeshore in greenleaf, flooding the lowlands and felling trees with its might. Her claws were sharp as the wind, slicing as Sleetpaw's ears and muzzle, causing blood to well up and blind him.

He shook his muzzle free of the blood, only to be slapped in the face and flung sideways by Cherrypaw's furious striking. Sleetpaw landed on his side, out of breath and aching everywhere.

"Sleetpaw!" Tigerpaw screeched. "Run!"

_No!_ Sleetpaw thought furiously. His Clanmates were fleeing all around him, being pushed back into the woods with scratches and tails between their legs – he would not become one of them! He pushed himself up and faced Cherrypaw, who was watching with red streaks in her pelt and narrowed eyes. But there was something else…

_Icefang!_

Icefang's pale shape was standing behind Cherrypaw, her ice-blue eyes boring into Sleetpaw. Slowly, the white she-cat shook her head.

Sleetpaw could not win this fight.

"Tigerpaw, come on!" Sleetpaw called. "We'll get them some other time!"

Tigerpaw seemed more than willing to help Sleetpaw stand more firmly. Together, they turned their backs on the ThunderClan apprentices and fled into the woods, heading for camp. Behind them, Sleetpaw could hear the triumphant calls of ThunderClan echoing off of the thin pine and cedar trunks.

Resentment burned in him. _Why?_ He asked. _I could have faced her!_

_I do not want my students killing one another,_ Icefang insisted, her frosty scent wreathing around him. _You two are to work together if you're going to make your Clans great again._

_Cherrypaw?_ Sleetpaw thought. _Cherrypaw is the cat you're training?_

He could feel Icefang's nod. _She suits my needs, and she has the skill to do what needs to be done,_ Icefang reasoned. _Just like you._

_Do not worry over this loss, Sleetpaw. You have lost today, but tomorrow you will fight again. And tomorrow, you will win._

_It is your destiny._


	8. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_Hollypaw's limbs felt solid in the_ cold air. She shivered as she and the others approached the path that led into the mountain. It led into a cave that stretched deep, deep into the snowy, icy rock until its end was lost to darkness.

Breath fogged from the muzzles of the Four, and their fur ruffled up against the biting wind. Otterpaw was wheezing – weak and cold and hungry, like they all were… but her leg was making things worse. Hollypaw sensed that she needed shelter before the coming storm hit.

"Whoever's in there knows we're here," growled Snakepaw. Hollypaw couldn't tell whether it was the wind was making his neck fur rise or his own suspicions. "There's no shelter around here and we won't be able to go back the way we came with the snow coming."

Hollypaw didn't like Snakepaw's grumpy attitude, but she sensed his point. Even Swiftpaw was nodding along – but Hollypaw wondered if he was just agreeing to anything that would get Otterpaw sheltered and safe.

_That must be their camp,_ Hollypaw reasoned. _It's the single most sheltered place up here._ She glanced at the frozen spire that clung to a gap in the rocks – a mostly-frozen waterfall with only a trickle of water to show the majesty it had once been.

Shivering, she tried her best to peer into the depths of the cave. She could smell cold and snow – cat-scent was negligible, prey-scent almost completely absent, and it smelled like no cat had marked any sort of boundary in a moon. Yet nothing stirred in the dark.

"We have to take the risk," she decided aloud. _StarClan grant that my choice is the right one._ "We need to get out of the cold before we all freeze."

No cat disputed her. Hollypaw led the way, placing her paws carefully to avoid the ice patches that coated the slope up to the cave. She pressed herself against the cold rock, digging her claws into the stone and wishing it was grass beneath her paws and not rocks and slick ice.

She could feel Swiftpaw's breath on her flanks as he helped Otterpaw up the slope. He kept her closer to the rock wall, with himself on the outer. His paws were surer on the slippery surface, but even he seemed nervous. Otterpaw's hind leg was dragging behind her, as if she didn't want to make the effort to put weight down on it.

Snakepaw brought up the rear behind them, his pelt blending partially with the stone. His eyes were flashing, keenly looking around for any sign of life.

The Four made it up to the mouth of the cave with little trouble despite the ice. Otterpaw was panting, and Hollypaw could feel the heat from her puffy leg even though she was standing a step away from the tabby she-cat. Otterpaw's wound needed attention, and soon.

_I hope they have some sort of herb I can use to help her,_ Hollypaw thought. _It's infected, and Otterpaw needs to heal!_

They stood there, the wind blowing their scent into the cave.

Yet no cat came to greet them.

Hollypaw looked at the other cats. Otterpaw was indifferent – pain glazed her eyes and it seemed like she would slump over at any moment. Swiftpaw stood rigidly by her side, propping her up and doing his best to keep the wind off of her wound. Snakepaw was staring into the cave, claws unsheathed and lip curled.

"What now?" Hollypaw asked.

Before any cat could say something sensible, Snakepaw took a step forward and yowled, "We know you're in there! Come out!"

His challenged echoed into the cave, bouncing off of the walls.

Hollypaw shot him a look. "What's _wrong_ with you?" she growled. "You can't just shout like that! They'll think we're here to attack them!"

Snakepaw lashed his tail. "From the looks of the cat Swiftpaw chased here, I don't think they're fit to fight anything," he snapped back. "We're not here to fight them – but we're not getting anywhere just sitting here freezing our tails off!"

Hollypaw was about to retort when her ears picked up the patter of pawsteps. She looked into the cave as thin, hungry shapes plodded lifelessly out of the dark blue-gray gloom.

Her heart twisted as she realized not one of these cats had not had a decent meal in the last moon. Pelts were dull, ragged, and clung to the bones of these miserable-looking warriors – the three that had come to meet them, that is. Their eyes bulged and shone with tiredness and hunger, yet they were narrowed with suspicion.

A long-haired tabby tom, fur clinging to his lean shape, curled a lip over yellowed and broken teeth. "Wingfeather told us of you," he rasped in a voice that told of his needs. "You are the ones who chased him away from Tree-Rock."

"Please!" Hollypaw burst. "One of our traveling companions is injured, and she needs shelter from the cold."

"You will not find that here," rasped the tabby tom.

Hollypaw blinked. There was a deeper meaning to his words that she did not understand.

"Is it true?" asked one of the tabby's companions, a brown-and-white tabby. "Are you _Clan_ cats?"

"Yes," Snakepaw replied. "We've each come from one of the four Clans by the lake, down the mountain towards where the sun sets. Are you MountainClan?"

The cats shifted on their paws.

"Yes, we are," the lean tabby replied, a growl in his tone. "Come with me; Stoneteller has been expecting you."

Hollypaw blinked in surprise. "We're… expected?" she wondered.

The lean tabby said nothing more. He lifted his tail – it looked like it took a lot of effort – and he and his companions padded back into the cave.

Hesitant, Hollypaw glanced at the group.

"Hospitable bunch, aren't they?" commented Snakepaw dryly. "These cats act as if they were raised by badgers!"

_You act as if you were raised by badgers,_ Hollypaw retorted inwardly. Aloud, she asked, "Should we follow?"

"We don't have any other choice," Swiftpaw mewed. "Otterpaw needs rest, and time to heal."

Otterpaw, leaning against him, grimaced. "I'm… fine…" she panted.

"No, you're not," Swiftpaw countered. "You're shaking."

Swallowing, Hollypaw looked into the dark cave. It may just be colder in there than it was out here, but Otterpaw needed the shelter from the coming storm – they all did. MountainClan was within, hungrier, angrier, and colder than Hollypaw could have ever imagined.

They had made it to MountainClan's camp, but how much more of the journey lay ahead?

_What if I've made a huge mistake?_


	9. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_The cave was so cold and_ so dark that all Snakepaw could see until his eyes adjusted was his breath fogging up before his muzzle.

Hollypaw led the way into the mountain, her pawsteps hesitant and filled with worry. It charged the air around them, burying itself in their pelts and infecting their minds. Snakepaw wished she weren't so obvious about her worrying.

_What does she fear?_ Snakepaw wondered. _We made it – we found MountainClan. All we need to do now is convince them to take us to the Rim and then we can go home and get away from this blasted, cold place._

Shapes moved in the shadows, and as Snakepaw's eyes adjusted to the cold, dark blue gloom, he made out the forms of cats. As his eyes focused further, Snakepaw saw that all of them were thin, all of them were hungry, and some of them were even sick with hunger. It shone in their eyes, making them gleam like the moon's face in the lakewater on a clear night.

_So few!_ Snakepaw thought, looking at the cats gathering around them. Soon enough the Four were being escorted by these rickety cats. Snakepaw felt like if he breathed wrong he might blow one of them over.

The MountainClan cats escorted them to the very back of the cave. By now, Snakepaw's eyes had adjusted almost completely – being raised in the gloom of ShadowClan territory made it easy for him to cope, while the others were still squinting. There were shallow scoops in the ground, up against the walls of the cave – dens, Snakepaw assumed. One was within sight of the entrance, while another was pressed up against a side wall.

Two caves led to alternate passages in the cave. A she-cat who was fatter than any of the MountainClan cats around them sat in front of one of the entrances. Her eyes were wide, and she wrapped her tail around her unborn kits.

_That's where the queens are,_ Snakepaw decided. Looking at the she-cat, Snakepaw realized that she was no fatter than Otterpaw or Hollypaw or any other better-fed she-cat. She didn't look like any sort of queen Snakepaw was used to seeing.

Snakepaw swallowed his sympathy. _The queens I'm used to seeing are well-fed, even in leaf-bare,_ he thought.

It was impossible to tell what was in the other tunnel, or where it led to. It was situated at the very back of the cave, shadowed by darkness. Snakepaw didn't dare crane his head to peek through – these MountainClan cats were clearly on edge, and Snakepaw didn't want to cause a fight.

There was no sign of a fresh-kill pile, either – just a few feathers in a corner, frozen to the stone. From the smell of things, there hadn't been warm prey there for at least a quarter-moon.

_What are these cats eating,_ Snakepaw wondered, _rocks?_

They were stopped at the back of the cave, where it rounded out into a proper camp-like shape. The Four were the center of attention as MountainClan cats – young and old – gathered around them. Their pelts were different colors, like any cat, but the similarity they all shared was the skinny hunger haunting their every wobbly step. Hunger bulged their eyes and matted their pelts.

When the Four were surrounded, the lean tabby who had met them at the entrance appeared from the tunnel at the back of the cave. Behind him limped an elderly tom – he had the same lean build as most of the cats here, but his pelt was white, patched with gray like storm clouds in a clear sky. His eyes were shining with hunger, and he leaned against the tabby as if he could not walk without his help.

The tabby positioned the elder at the head of the ground, facing the Four. The other MountainClan cats took a reverent step away from them.

"I am Eaglescreech," the lean tabby tom mewed. "Deputy of MountainClan for nearly six seasons. This is our tribe-healer, Teller of the Pointed Stones."

_So that's their Stoneteller?_ Snakepaw thought, looking at the skinny, clearly sick creature. _He looks like some rogue elder!_

He could tell the others were thinking the same – how could such a skinny, underfed cat lead MountainClan?

Swiftpaw shifted on his paws, balancing his own weight with Otterpaw's. "We need shelter," he meowed. "Otterpaw is hurt and needs to rest."

"You are… Clan cats?" Stoneteller rasped. His voice was like claws on ice.

"Yes," Hollypaw answered. "We come from the lake."

"I know where you come from!" snapped Stoneteller.

The rickety cat pushed himself off of his deputy to stand up at his full height. His stick-like legs wobbled at the effort, but he managed to stay upright. Lashing his tail to keep his balance and express his anger, he snarled, "I knew you were coming! I dreamed of it."

Gasps flew up from the Clan. Their already-wide eyes widened more, and one cat – the tabby-and-white she-cat from earlier – mewed, "You _dreamed,_ Stoneteller?"

"I dreamed, yes!" Stoneteller snapped. He paused to cough. "I dreamed of these four cats from the lake, coming here to… to…" he wobbled. "To demand things of us that MountainClan cannot give!"

"Typical Lake Clans," spat a ragged tom. "Always selfish!"

_Selfish?_ Snakepaw thought. He glanced at the group. Hollypaw seemed taken aback by the insult, while Swiftpaw looked utterly confused. Otterpaw was panting, her eyes drooping, but Snakepaw could see her claws peeking out of her furry RiverClan paws.

Snakepaw looked around at the MountainClan cats. Their eyes were bulging with hunger, yes, but there was more there than Snakepaw realized.

MountainClan _hated_ them.

"We… we were sent here by our Clans!" Hollypaw sputtered, confused. She took a step back, closer to Snakepaw. Snakepaw found himself squaring his shoulders – if it came to a fight, Hollypaw's skills as a medicine cat wouldn't be of too much use.

"We have to get out of here," Swiftpaw whispered. "They're not going to do anything for us!"

"If anything," Snakepaw added, looking at the claws of the MountainClan cats, "they're going to eat us."

Hollypaw looked sickened by the thought. She blinked at Stoneteller and meowed pleadingly, "Please – please, let us talk! Just you and us."

"Never!" Stoneteller spat.

Hollypaw's eyes flicked to Eaglescreech. "Your deputy too, then?" she suggested. "Please, Stoneteller – we mean you no harm! We're only here to talk."

Stoneteller was shaking with frustration, but Eaglescreech blinked at Hollypaw and then mewed, "Perhaps we should hear them out?"

The gray-and-white leader looked at his deputy as if he were mad. Eaglescreech stood his ground, looking at his leader with authority and a slight of sympathy.

"We can't just send them away," Eaglescreech added. "Their leaders will be upset, and might take it as a slight."

"If any Clan has slighted anyone, it's their Clans slighting us!" Stoneteller raved. But, he lowered his tail and wobbled a little as he sheathed his chipped claws.

"Fine," he decided. "Bring them to my den."

Stoneteller turned away and wobbled though the tunnel. A warrior went to help, presumably, but Eaglescreech halted them with a flick of his tail.

"Back to your duties," Eaglescreech called. "Stoneteller and I will deal with the outsiders."

The MountainClan cats looked at one another, as if they could hardly believe the idea – but they listened to their deputy as loyally as any other Clan cat. The crowd around the Four parted and went back to their dens. Some slumped over on the ground just before the dens and didn't move, as if they hadn't had the strength to go any further. Not one of them left the cave.

_Do they patrol or hunt?_ Snakepaw wondered. Looking at the starved cats, Snakepaw wondered if they even bothered.

"Come," Eaglescreech mewed, bringing Snakepaw out of his thoughts. "Stoneteller will see you and speak with you… but do not expect to leave here with what you came for."


End file.
